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A Dive into Metalcore

March 23 2020 //

Photo Credit: Chris Romano

As you may or may not know, I’m the Metalcore enthusiast at CJLO. Go ahead, call me a “poser” all you want. There is nothing better then a good Metalcore song during these quarantine times, where the only moshpit you might see is a hole in you wall with mushrooms growing out of it.

Since we are still in March and we enjoy our Metal music at the station, I decided to write this article explaining why Metal elitist fans don't like my favorite genre. Of course, this article is going to be biased. I’m listening to Parkway Drive, Norma Jean and August Burns Red while writing this but, I’ll try to be as objective as possible. Here are the four reasons why Metalcore is hated by Metal elitists.

1. A middle finger to two communities

The term Metalcore emerged in the 90s, when a few bands started mixing thrash and hardcore punk together. These artisits borrowed the screaming vocals and the breakdowns from Hardcore and the riffs from Metal.

We can compare Hardcore Punk, or just Punk, and Metal to the Capulets and the Montagues, making Metalcore Romeo and Juliet. Punk and Metal fans have been buttheads in the past, being very proud of their respective communities. 

When some hardcore bands (which are punk bands that pushed the genre characteristics to the extreme) started using a more “metallic” sound was when the term metalcore first emerged.

To put it simply, both Punks and Metalheads are proud elitists of their genre. So, when metalcore came along, it was the bastard union of the two; making it the obvious scapegoat for the two communities. Since Metalcore takes a bit more of the Punk (with the screamed vocals and the breakdowns) compared to metal (the guitar riffs), it’s normal that the elitist Metalheads won’t welcome it into the community.

2. It’s too accessible

Let’s face it: metal elitists are hipsters. And what do hipsters do? They hate on anything that is too trendy or too accessible to the general public. As an example, you can take my girlfriend, who loves bands like I Prevail and Beartooth, but has some trouble getting into Mayhem, Asphyx or Darkthrone. 

Death Metal, Black Metal and the such aren’t for everyone, either because it’s too heavy, too fast or too dark for the general public.

Metalcore is a mix of Heavy Metal and Hardcore Punk, using melodic riffs to mix it with some breakdowns and some hardcore screaming vocals. To the general youth, it’s kind of way to express some frustration, to rebel a little (not that you can’t do it while listening to some Darken Death Doom metal.)

Metalcore has gotten even more accessible with the Punk Goes Pop trend as few years back where a lot of Metalcore bands took songs like “Glad You Came”, “Bad Romance”, “I Kissed A Girl”, “Wrecking Ball”, and made a metalcore cover of it. 

I remember back in 2014, the local news in Montreal (a.k.a CTV) talked about I Prevail’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”. Of course, when something related to music gets on the news, it’s more accessible to everyone (with the exception of some people burning churches.)

3. The Influence of Emo and Pop on the genre

Some bands seem to be more hated than others. The first one that comes to mind is Bring Me the Horizon (BMtH). There hasn’t been a social media platform where I haven’t seen some people destroying Oliver Sykes and his band. Why? Two reasons mostly.

Reason number 1 - They have too many connections to the emo/scene movements
Reason number 2 - Their latest album(s) being too influenced by pop

One thing that I need to mention about BMtH is that they used to be a Deathcore band when they first started. As you go through their repertoire, you can see that it's pretty diverse from years to years. As they went through different phases, they went through different genres, but some themes remained through it all: the heartbreak, the hurting and all the edgy stuff usually associated with emo and scene.

They might have been the one that brought all the cringy emo fanbases into metalcore, or it might have been Falling in Reverse. Who really knows for sure? One thing is for sure. Most people went through some phases when they were younger and a lot of them are ashamed of themselves and cringing while looking at some old pictures. Elitist metalheads are kinda doing the same with the Metalcore cringy emo fanbase, some of its more emo bands like Bring Me the Horizons.

To add insult to injury, BMtH’s last album Amo (stylized as amo) mostly consisted of pop music, with a few Metal/Rock tints here and there. That kind of finished digging their grave for Metalheads, as pop is the most accessible and the most commercial genre that exist. The album wasn’t bad per say, it was better than most pop that airs on the radio these days in my opinion, but it wasn’t metal.

4.    All the bands sounds the same

This last argument will also be a wrap up so bare with me. One of the most used argument against Metalcore is that all of its bands sound the same, which I would have to agree with to a certain degree.
To its defense, Metalcore became really popular around 2005 to 2010-ish. That was when all the social medias and streaming platforms started being popular too. Since a lot of bands became popular from Myspace (such as Black Veiled Brides, Bring Me the Horizon, Hollywood Undead, Job for a Cowboy and Suicide Silence to name a few). You would think that a lot of others would soon follow their tracks, hoping to become as successful. With the commercial success Metalcore had around 2010, it is understandable that a lot of bands would want the same as many other well established Metalcore bands on the market.

We also live in an era where the music industry is over saturated. Everyone can make decide to be a singer, make a band and start posting music on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music or other music streaming platforms. A lot of Pop or Rap artists sounds the same. Metalcore is the most commercially successful genre of Metal. Therefore, it only makes sense that bands try to copy others’ sound to become successful.

I have seen a lot of people on forums (jazz musicians, metal critics and others) say that Metalcore was simple, unstimulating and generic. Well, this is where we can praise Bring Me the Horizon. Even though their last album was heavily criticized by Metalheads for being more Pop than Rock or Metal, it seemed to start a wave in the world of Metalcore. More and more bands started tweaking their sound in different ways, seemingly searching for something more unique and more personal. While looking to be the gateway band to get people into Rock, this shook the world of metalcore and challenged some bands to modify their sometimes-well-established sound to find a new voice.

In the end, you can like whatever genre of metal you want. But, if you think Metalcore is more Punk than Metal and that makes it "not Metal enough" or "heavy enough", follow the advice that Lzzy Hale, the lead singer of the rock band Halestorm, gave me during an interview. Go see a live show before you judge or say anything about it. You always get a better idea of a genre after seeing it live a few times then listening to a few albums on Spotify.

 

Jean-Phillppe aka JP, is the co-host of The Iron Club check them out every Sunday at 10pm. 

CJLO DJ SPOTLIGHT

March 23 2020 //

DJ Spacepirate hosts Burnt Offerings, the absolute worst show ever to curse AM radio. There he mostly plays brand-spanking-new Canadian metal, as well as other types of new Canadian metal. Sometimes he doesn't play Canadian metal from the past 3 months, such as Canadian metal from more than 3 months ago, or metal not from Canada but still from the past 3 months. He gets reduced rations when this happens.

Tune into Burnt Offerings every Sunday from 6 to 8PM!

 Hope you're doing well. Here is my DJ bio and picture. I kept it real short, hope it's what you wanted! I'm DJ Lady Oracle, host of The Limelight  on CJLO 1690AM alongside J-Nice since 2003.  It is the longest running hip hop show on CJLO 1690AM. I'm also a professional DJ and DJ for events such as Urban Science’s Le Cypher, Kalmunity Vibe Collective, Jazz fest, NDG Arts Week and more. When I'm not DJing or woking at my day job, I'm chilling with friends and family, doing Pilates workouts, meditating, cooking vegan food and watching Netflix.

Check out The Limelight every Saturday from 6 to 8PM, or link with them on Facebook and MixCloud!

https://www.facebook.com/thelimelightradio/

https://www.mixcloud.com/limelightradio/

 

 

 

Why Beach Boys’ Party! is the Ultimate Soundtrack for Self-Isolation

March 22 2020 //
I’ve been thinking about Brian Wilson a lot these days.    
He enjoyed working from home. In fact, at the height of his creative prowess, he held meetings in a tent in his bedroom, and wrote songs in a sandpit where his piano stood. 
In this era, he would go on to create the 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds before completely atrophying through the creation of the infamously never-released Smile. 
But instead of listening to those albums, I have instead been listening to Beach Boys’ Party! as I try to make sense of life under self-isolation and social distancing. 
Considered to be a minor, even forgettable offering from the band at the time of its release, Beach Boys’ Party! would go on to find new life as a cult favourite, and should be the ultimate soundtrack to these strange times we’re now in. 
Right before Wilson was known as an eccentric auteur with Pet Sounds and Smile, he was trying to recover from a hectic 1964 with The Beach Boys, the band he led with his brothers Dennis and Carl, along with their cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine. 
Over the span of 12 months, The Beach Boys released three albums, toured non-stop around the world, and fired their manager, who happened to be the Wilsons’ father. In 1965, Wilson took LSD for the first time and entered a new phase in his artistic life with the band. 
Through their 1965 albums Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), the band explored more mature subject matter beyond cars and girls in songs like “Help Me, Rhonda” and “Let Him Run Wild.” While both songs are about unrequited love, they shed a light on different and darker themes, such as finding distractions to heartbreak and managing envy.
Needing to satisfy one more album request from their label Capitol, Wilson conceived the idea of a “live party” on record. Beach Boys’ Party!, their third album in 1965, was recorded over sporadic sessions in September, with all the laughter and chatter added post-production and then shipped off and released a few weeks later to coincide with the holiday season. 
The approach to recording the album was casual, sparse, and spontaneous, as if the band were listing off their favourite songs one after another. Of course, there were many songs that were recorded and left off the record simply because they were too raw and unfocused (namely, The Beach Boys’ take on “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”). In order to create a seamless flow from one song to another, the album was heavily edited and engineered by Mark Linett, who would go on to create a surround sound mix of Pet Sounds.
In Party, there is a glimpse into the Beach Boys’ doo-wop influences as well as their reverence for The Beatles (there are three Beatles’ covers on Party) and Bob Dylan. Both acts, of course, would never return the favour, which to me, makes The Beach Boys seem more relatable. Despite all their success, they would always be chasing The Beatles and Bob Dylan, never the other way around.
In one of the most telling bits in the album, the band does a medley of “I Get Around” and “Little Deuce Coupe,” two of their most famous tracks. But they perform them in a way that is completely deprived of any sincerity or real effort by giggling through improvised verses that mock the originals. 
Instead of singing about how “the bad guys know us and they leave us alone,” Mike Love cracks up at the mere thought that The Beach Boys could intimidate anyone and acknowledges “the other guys are pretty tough” through laughter. At first listen, it’s eye-roll inducing, but the more you listen, the more refreshing it is to hear the band, one surrounded by universal acclaim, take themselves down a few pegs. 
The band would manage to have a hit with their cover of The Regents’ “Barbara Ann,” the last song of theirs to display any of their trademark surfer-style sensibilities. Their next single would of course be “Sloop John B” from the era-defining Pet Sounds, making the songs on Party! feel like a distant memory.
Still, Beach Boys’ Party! succeeds in pushing the limits of what an album can accomplish, how we define “live music,” and the difference between how fans and the artist view their own material. In his book on Pet Sounds for the 33 ⅓ series, writer Jim Fusilli could not grasp why the Beach Boys would “imagine doing that - mocking your own work, the music people cherish.” 
To fans and critics like Fusilli, the early Beach Boys material represents innocence and playfulness, but for the band in Party!, it’s the equivalent of reading back old high school journal entries. 
Over time, Beach Boys’ Party! would be re-evaluated thanks to tributes from Sloan and Weezer who respectively adopted the party theme on a rare 1996 EP and a 2008 tour where audience members were invited to bring instruments and play along. 
More than just a goofy concept, Party! is also an interesting exercise in exploring how music lives in the physical world - and how musicians walk a fine tightrope between the two modes they inhabit: artist and performer.  
Brian Wilson would give up touring altogether in 1964 after experiencing a panic attack on an airplane. He wanted to solely focus on creating records. So to create an album that is marketed as a party but has all the ambiance added in post-production not only shows his overall uneasiness with performing, but how songs take on new meaning when performed live.
It’s this idea that would go on and continue to influence artists like Björk in “There’s More to Life Than This,” from her 1993 record Debut, which flirts between being a live and studio recording. Canadian singer-songwriter Feist would do the same thing in two of her songs: “My Moon, My Man” and “Any Party.” 
Right now during the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of artists have had to cancel or postpone tour dates in order to mitigate the spread of the virus. Some of them, like Jeremy Dutcher and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard have decided to livestream performances from their homes. 
Even ordinary people are experiencing changes in how they relate to one another. We’re being told that the best way to overcome the virus is to avoid leaving home altogether. Our work culture is currently being defined by distance communication technology, with some workplaces even trying to host their social events through Zoom or Slack.
I don’t think Beach Boys’ Party! is among the best Beach Boys albums. It wouldn’t even be among my favourites, even though I have listened to it three times a day since I started working from home. 
Maybe it would be more rewarding to do thorough and deep listens of Pet Sounds and Smile, but re-listening to those only cements the message that creativity and greatness cannot be achieved without a village of people behind you. 
But with its mixed-in laughter and seamless edit, Beach Boys’ Party! managed to do in 1965 what we’re all trying to do right now - to create something out of nothing with the idea that we’re all in it together. Before social distancing and self-isolation, The Beach Boys were able to create a sense of community without having one at all. 

Students pushed out of residence, EI applications boom, Feds announce virus response for First Nations

March 21 2020 //

Stories: Luca Caruso-Moro

Reporter: Shanellie Marie

 

 

 

STUDENTS PUSHED OUT OF RESIDENCES

Students in Concordia’s residencies are being pushed out of their dorms in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19.

On March 18, students were given 4 days notice to pack up and leave.

According to the Civil Code of Quebec, students are entitled to stay in their residences as long as they are a full time student. 

University President Graham Carr has vowed to accommodate students with nowhere to go and provide meals to residents in need. 

The CSU has issued a statement saying, quote, “No one should be left behind in a health emergency,” and vowed to hold the university accountable. 

 

EI APPLICATIONS BOOM

In national news, the federal government has been flooded with applications for Employment Insurance. 

Prime Minister Trudeau says Ottawa has received about 500 thousand applications.

That’s compared to just 27 thousand,  this time last year. 

Rules for who is eligible for insurance were recently expanded to accommodate people out of work as a result of the virus.

 

FEDS ANNOUNCE VIRUS RESPONSE FOR FIRST NATIONS

The government has announced 305 million dollars for immediate response to limit the spread of COVID-19 to Indigenous and Inuit communities. 

Several officials including Trudeau recognize the need for aid specifically directed to those communities, which are more likely to lack access to medical

infrastructure. Another 100 million dollar fund has also been unveiled to pay for medical equipment.

 

Increase in blood donations, COVID-19 sparks fears of racist attacks, Concordia residence evictions

March 19 2020 //

Hadassah Alencar

 

________________________________________________________________

 

Increase in blood donations during virus pandemic

Legault asked Quebecers to donate blood on the COVID-19 update on Monday

A spokesperson for Héma-Québec said the number of daily blood donations decreased 75 per cent after people were asked to stay home last week.

Since Monday donations have bounced back to their goal of: 1000 per day.

Montreal's Korean consulate responds to stabbings

Montreal's Korean consulate issued a safety warning after two Korean men were stabbed in the city on Sunday.

The warning is due to broader concerns about coronavirus-related racism targeting canadians of asain descent.

The two men are in recovery and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Suddenly eviction notice for Concordia residence

Over 800 students at Concordia's three residences have been asked to evacuate their dorms.

And they’ve been given just four days to do it. 

According to the university, the order was made over health concerns about covid-19 on campus.

This included concerns on how social distancing is difficult to practice in a residence.

 

Metal My Movie - Almost Famous

March 18 2020 //

Photo Credit: IMDb

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, I decided to rectify a blind spot viewing of mine and watch Almost Famous. Directed by Cameron Crowe, the film takes a focus on life on the road of a rock and roll band and their fans known as groupies. Audience views the film through the protagonist, a journalist writing an article for Rolling Stones magazine. From these two thematics we can see Almost Famous from a Metal perspective.

Maybe more of a PG version of the Netflix original film The Dirt, the biographical film about the Mötley Crüe, Almost Famous is loosely based on Crowe’s experience working for Rolling Stones magazine. The film explores the life on the road of a fictional rock band called Stillwater and how  ego plays a part in being in a band. For example, there is the ongoing ego riff between the lead singer Jeff (Jason Lee) and the lead guitarist Russell (Billy Crudup). There is also the relationship explored between Russell and one of the superfans  of the group, Penny Lane (Kate Hudson). It is when Russell’s wife enters the picture that their relationship becomes non-existent as he ignores Penny.

Just as Metal is sometimes seen as subversive to the times, Rock and Roll, at the time, was seen that way too.  Annita (Zooey Deschanel) was the original fan of rock and roll music in William’s (Patrick Fugit) life. She introduced him to the genre that his mother Elaine found subversive (Frances McDormand). I don’t know why anyone would find Simon and Garfukle’s Bookends subversive, but those were the days. Elaine emparts her concerned motherly advice of “Don’t do Drugs” and doesn’t trust the members of Stillwater around her son, even though she knows it’s been one of his life long dreams to follow a band he has idolized. Penny Lane draws influence from The Beatles for her pseudonym groupie name, this can be seen as the other side of the spectrum of band fandom. She lets William know that she is more than a groupie; she is a superfan.  

Maybe not all the rough edges of life on the road of a Metal band, but Crowe makes it a surreal experience of being on the road with a rock band in Almost Famous. It can be defined as a musical rock journey film if ever there was a sub genre. Nothing beats everyone coming together to belt out Elton John’s “Tiny Dancer” on the tour bus. Crowe also  focuses on how rock was perceived as a subversive culture that had it’s superfans that would go to lengths to keep up with the culture. For myself, my parents did right by bringing me up with Simon and Garfunkel,  their music is timeless. This may be the best film Crowe has done in a while with Vanilla Sky being underrated and Aloha being critically panned. It seems that he put his heart and his soul into this film.

Next week Albert and David Maysle’s concert documentary Gimme Shelter celebrates an anniversary review and gets the Metal My Movie treatment. So what makes The Rolling Stones so Metal besides their longevity? Find out next week. Got any suggestions for a Metal My Movie segment then e-mail atmovies@cjlo.com.

UPDATE

March 18 2020 //

CJLO's Top Metal Bands of 2019

March 16 2020 //

Photo Credit: Diner Drugs EP Art

2019 is over and with it, another decade is gone. We, at CJLO, can be sentimental at times, so let's take a look back at the year and tell you what loud/metal bands got played the most at the station. 

Now, before we get started, let me lay out what this list is so you don't get confused. 

This list represents each artist and the number of plays they received by DJs on their shows. There is no collection of automated plays; these are strictly things picked out and played by DJs across the station, with the majority of them being from the Metal shows. 

These numbers are strictly from chartable records, a.k.a new records. So there's no grand total number of times that Metallica got played anywhere here. 

First, let’s talk about band names, because why not? As you know, Metal is sometimes a predictable lot, and band names this year ran a nice array of dark themes. Witch” and “Death” are commonly used words in Metal bands names this year, with the mainstay “Black” at number three — for those who are curious. 

But enough of these “words", let's get to numbers. Here's some facts about what got played:
- Of all of the records sent in to CJLO this year, Diner Drugs managed to get the most airplay, which though I don't have numbers from anywhere else, is certainly a better statistic than at any corporate owned station in the city.
- Of the artists that got played, 36% were Canadian Content, so see CRTC, we're complying with our 35% mandate quite well, and that's just new records.
- Of the artists that got played, 13% were from Quebec, with the obvious majority being from around the Montreal area.

Without further delay, here's the top 200. 

200. Goatees 
199. Lochness (QC)
198. Creeping Death
197. Delain
196. Haunt 
195. Full of Hell
194. Skid Row
193. Homicide (QC)
192. Northern Haze (CDN)
191. Marc Durkee (CDN)
190. Venom
189. Detainee (QC)
188. Whitechapel 
187. Quiet Riot 
186. CNTRL (CDN)
185. Iron Maiden 
184. Jesus Chrusler Supercar 
183. Amon Amarth 
182. Jess by the Lake 
181. Periphery
180. Thank You Scientist 
179. Pelican
178. Twilight Force 
177. .gif from god
176. Endvade (QC)
175. Seas (stylized as seas) (CDN)
174. Atria (CDN)
173. Spectres (stylized as SPECTRES) (CDN)
172. In Flames
171. Tragedy
170. Babymetal (stylized as BABYMETAL)
169. Breath After Coma
168. Shadow Weaver (CDN)
167. Airbourne
166. Völur (CDN)
165. Cattle Decapitation
164. Unearth
163. Baroness
162. Santa Cruz
161. La Chinga (CDN)
160. Jinjer
159. A Pale Horse Named Death
158. Deathchant (stylized as DEATHCHANT)
157. Candlemass
156. Bat
155. Alaska (QC)
154. Cathartic Demise (CDN)
153. Rammstein
152. Sabaton
151. Monolord

150. Va Rocks (stylized as VA ROCKS)
149. Toothgrinder
148. Blut aus Nord
147. A Primitive Evolution (CDN)
146. Getaway Van (CDN)
145. Black Mold
144. Gloryhammer
143. Juliet Ruin (CDN)
142. Killswitch Engage
141. Lee Aaron (CDN)
140. The Hu
139. Insomnium
138. The Listener (QC)
137. Profane Order (C)
136. Touché Amoré
135. BackStabbers (QC)
134. Shotgun Sawyer
133. Of Hatred Spawn (CDN)
132. Gazm (stylized as GAZM) (QC)
131. Dead Feathers
130. Texas Hippie Coalition
129. Guttrot (QC)
128. Zeal & Ardor
127. White Cowbell Oklahoma (CDN)
126. Red Cain (CDN)
125. The Flaying (QC)
124. Valley of the Sun
123. The Well
122. Häxan (CDN)
121. Häxor (CDN)
120. Hive (stylized as H I V E) (CDN)
119. Infrared (CDN)
118. TripleMurder (CDN)
117. Surface of the Sun (CDN)
116. Woodhawk (CDN)
115. Vultures (CDN)
114. TrollWar (QC)
113. Nachteule (QC)
112. OHMelectronic (CDN)
111. Haze Mage
110. Roadsaw
109. Sleepcircle (CDN)
108. Carnifex
107. Soilwork
106. Batushka
105. Norma Jean
104. Mark Morton
103. CJLO PRESENTS: Foreign Trade (QC)
102. Bewitcher
101. Anomalism (CDN)

100. Dizzy Mystics (QC)
99. Disciples of Power (CDN)
98. Fever 333
97. Culled (CDN)
96. Northumbria (CDN)
95. Mayhem
94. Warsenal (QC)
93. Thrash la Reine (QC)
92. 3Teeth
91. Lüger (QC)
90. Dream Theater
89. Misshapen (CDN)
88. Damned Things 
87. Zaum (CDN)
86. ALGORYTHYM (QC)
85. Scimitar (CDN)
84. Tales of the Tomb (CDN)
83. Gross Misconduct (CDN)
82. Grave Infestation (CDN)
81. Sunn O)))
80. Ritual Warefare (CDN)
79. Fractures & Outlines (QC)
78. Consequences (stylized as CONSEQUENCES.) (QC)
77. No Faith In Fortune (CDN)
76. Thanatos (CDN)
75. Oomph!
74. Danko Jones (CDN)
73. Concrete Funeral (CDN)
72. Sigil (CDN)
71. Gone Cosmic (CDN)
70. Knocked Loose 
69. Sleeping in Traffic (CDN)
68. Sanctvs (QC)
67. Fayne (QC)
66. Vile Creature (CDN)
65. Hellnite (CDN)
64. The Altruist (QC)
63. Elektric Mistress (CDN)
62. Unburnt (QC)
61. Oppression (QC)
60. Sophist (CDN)
59. Modern Eyes (QC)
58. Kings Rot (CDN)
57. Mistwalker (QC)
56. Blue Cheese (QC)
55. Counterparts (CDN)
54. The Great Sabatini (QC)
53. Tunic (sylized as tunic) (CDN)
52. West of Hell (CDN)
51. Torche

50. Despised Icon (QC)
49. Dead Tired (stylized as DEAD TIRED) (CDN)
48. Alienatör (CDN)
47. Oath Div. 666 (QC)
46. Wykan (QC)
45. Eclipser (CDN)
44. Sludgehammer (CDN)
43. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
42. Accursed Spawn (CDN)
41. Bled Out (CDN)
40. Incandescence (QC)
39. Monarque (QC)
38. Shezmu (QC)
37. Ye-Goat-Herd Gods (CDN)
36. Wormwitch (CDN)
35. Aphrodite (CDN)
34. Dizastra (QC)
33. Bring Me the Horizon
32. Heart Attack KIds (CDN)
31. Délétère (QC)
30. Black Galaxy (CDN)
29. Chainbreaker (CDN)
28. Maeskyyrn (QC)
27. Crimson Witch (CDN)
26. Warpit  (QC)
25. Obey The Braver (QC)
24. Cell (CDN)
23. He Is Legend
22. Keys of Orthanc (QC)
21. Iron Kingdom (CDN)
20. Devin Townsend (CDN)
19. Tomb Mold  (CDN)
18. VHS (CDN)
17. Messora (QC)
16. Kosm (stylized as KOSM) (CDN)
15. Big Brave (QC)
14. Black Mastiff (CDN)
13. Sandveiss (stylized as SANDVEISS) (QC)
12. Kobra and the Lotus (CDN)
11. Necronomicon(QC)
10. The Agonist (QC)
9. Seer (CDN)
8. Ossuaire (QC)
7. Chron Goblin (CDN)
6. Nightwitches (QC)
5. Hard Changer (CDN)
4. Waingro (CDN)
3. Gypsy Chief Goliath (CDN)
2. Trapped Under Ice  (CDN)
1. Diner Drugs (CDN)

This article was brought to you in part of CJLO’s annual Metal March. Stick around for more metal-related content on-air and in the online magazine.

Divided NDG council, Montreal manhood, Trudeau COVID-19

March 12 2020 //

Hadassah Alencar
Maya Lach Adelbaum

 

________________________________________________________________

 

NDG borough meeting 

There were several hot issues discussed at Wednesday’s NDG council meeting:

Councillors voted to close down police station 11 on Somerled and Kensington Avenue. 

Projet montreal councillor Christian Arsenault suggested the closure of the station would be beneficial for the community. 

He said shutting down the station and merging it with station 9 would increase police presence, especially at night.

Mayor Montgomery opposed the closure.

She presented a petition with 2500 signatures in support of the station staying in NDG. 

The Council also voted to revoke Stephane Plante’s suspension.

Mayor Montgomery suspended him after he refused to attend a meeting with herself and Annalisa Harris.

Harris is accused of psychologically harassing two city employees including Plante. 

He’ll be reimbursed for a little over a week’s worth of lost wages.

Montreal Men's Group

In other news, 

Montreal men are coming together to challenge common ideas about manhood.

Maya Lach Adelbaum reports.

https://soundcloud.com/cjlo1690am/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-man

Trudeau government announces $1B Coronavirus response plan

Ottawa will give half a million dollars to provinces for health care funding.

The package also includes an enhancement for Canadian businesses that experience a downturn because of COVID-19.

Hours after the announcement, the World Health Organization called the virus a global pandemic

 

Metal My Movie - Force Majeure

March 12 2020 //

When it comes to the country of Sweden and Metal music, most people often associate it with the subgenre of death metal. So why have I come to review this family drama about a ski trip in the French Alps? Is there anything metal about this film, other than the fact that Kristofer Hivju from HBO’s Game of Thrones co-stars? Maybe if we looked further at the sound design of the film and its central premise, there can be some metal aesthetics to be found.

Like many other genres of music, metal songs often deal with the issue of trauma as a central thematic element. Director Ruben Östlund uses a natural occurrence of trauma to set the plot of his film in motion. During lunch on a family ski trip, there is a loud boom as an avalanche gun goes off, preventing future deadly snow slides. This, however, causes a small avalanche to start rolling in as the guests and the family are frozen in shock, with most saying it is just a controlled avalanche, with nothing to worry about. But once it comes in close to the restaurant, panic sets in as everyone scrambles for safety. Thomas, the father of the family (Johannes Bah Kuhnke) runs away only with his cellphone from his wife Ebba (Lisa Loven Kongsli) and their kids. This leaves them to duck under the table.

The tension in the relationship is never far gone after this moment. Thomas claims that he ran to get help, however, Ebba claims he just ran away from the situation. There is another scene where we see the snow up close moving in on the camera before a complete whiteout, bringing back the notion of the film’s central theme. With all that occurred, the family now has to come together to support each other to get through this family vacation. 

Loud booms and metallic sounds create the soundscape to this family drama. Putting aside the soundtrack which included hyper violin strings as the main score to the film or its one techno club beat in another scene, the sound design can be considered as industrial. Firstly, on the slopes you have the avalanche gun that sounds it’s thunderous warning. Secondly, there is Ebba’s day of skiing alone as we hear the metallic clicks of the ski lifts that take you up the hill. However, maybe the most metal scene of the movie comes when Mats (Kristofer Hivju) takes Thomas on a guys ski day. Mats makes Thomas do a form of therapy that involves screaming to let out all the emotions while on top of the hill. This is a recurring element, as Thomas goes into a bar where young men are partying but also screaming as part of having a good time.

With all due respect to the two leads in the recent Hollywood remake of this film, titled Downhill, it fails to make the emotional connections that Force Majeure includes. Dowhill is played as a straight up comedy instead of an exposé into the human emotion and how it relates to trauma. Additionally, Kristofer Hivju’s character is used effectively in the original film, rather than the limited cameo he receives in the Hollywood remake. The scenes where both the mother and the father have their ski day alone are also better handled with maturity, rather than the straight up mid life crisis plot of Downhill. 

Next week Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous celebrates an anniversary review and gets the Metal My Movie treatment. This is probably the last best Crowe film according to popular opinion. If you’ve got any suggestions for a Metal My Movie segment, you can contact me at atmovies@cjlo.com.

 

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